Changeable exhibitor



March is 192s. 1,575,997

i c. J. MCDONALD CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR I Filed June 9, 1925 f A I r F MD MSW U $9 2 WLETELY W C U Q m MM WW 5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

uuirsos r res eats] .j tr es.

CHARLES J. MoDONALD,j OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA c'r-ranennstn nxnrnrren.

Application filed June 9,1925. serial No. 35,244.

- invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable"Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to manually changeable exhibitors, and more particularly to a class of signs having interchangeable sliding plates. I r J p Signs of the latter class are used agreat deal in cafeterias, markets, automobile agencies, and elsewhere. The sliding plate of the sign usually consists of a strip of white cardboard having printing thereon in black ink or paint, and the labor item in the preparation of the finished strip is the expensive factor in such a temporary sign. If the sign is not executed in a neat or artistic manner it fails of its purpose and the expected trade is not drawn.

My invention has for an object the preparation of strips in the form of stencils for the abote purpose, and which strips in combination with a background of color contrasting with the color of the stencils form the sign plates. It is evident that stenciled strips will always be executed in neat sharply defined characters by any operator of a stenciling machine, thus a further object is the production of such strips displaying signs of characters accurately and mechanically formed at a cost of but a fraction of the heretofore produced strips.

A further object is to determine the legibility of my novel sign by the provision of simple means to eifect contact of the stencil with the colored background.

A still further object, in cases where a more expensive exhibitor is desired, is the provision of glass fronts for the individual stencils and which fronts may remain in the racks as the stencils are removed and replaced by others. A simple means is provided to accomplish this retention of the glass, yet the glass may be removed easily when desired, as to clean it.

Other objects and advantages and the features of construction of the invention,

will appear in the subjoined description of the accompanymg sheet of 'drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of an exhibitor constructed in accordance with my invention, and with only a couple of stencil signs shown in the racks for illustration purposes.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is partial. intermediate vertical section of the device, and Fig. l is a similar view of an exlnbitoiwith glass plates H1 front ofthe stencils; and

Fig. 5 is a full size View of a piece of stencil as now used in the racks.

Advertmg to the drawings I will now describe the figures thereof in detail, refer ence being had to numerals toindicate the elements. of the invention. 6' denotes the backplate of the illustrated exhibitor and the same may be a suitable board of wood hav ng asmcoth surface 7, the background for the stencils 8, and wluch background I prefer to coat with any suitable coloring for such as for the heading 10 of the exhibitor,

I may wish to make the stencil of a more durable material and I find thin sheet metal satisfactory. I prefer to form the perforations 9 by a stenciling machine (not shown) adapted to line, space and punch the characters at the will of the operator.

Surrounding the backplate 6 is secured a frame 11 of any desired shape, and trans versely of the plate and between the frame members is secured retaining racks 12 suitably spaced from one another to meet the purpose of the exhibitor under consideration.

The racks are rabbeted on their inner face as shown at 13, and the depth of the-rabbet is just sufficient to allow the stencil to slide freely withn the rack and effect contact with the surface of the backplate. At one edge of the framed structure the racks may extend to the edge by tongues 14, and'uponwhich the frame element 15 may be supported to form the entrace slots 16 for the narrow stencils and the slot 17 for the heading stencil 10..

On the backplate along the insertion edge of the exhibitor I provide indents or cutouts 18 about midway of each stencil for stencil out with ease, each stencil substantially extending to the said outside edge as shown 1n F g. 1 at the broken-away portion of the frame element 15.

In Fig. 4: an exhibitor is shownwitha glass facing 19 in front of each stencil 85the.

rabbet 20 being of a depth t-snugl-y receive the glass and stencil and effect contact of the latter with the surface of the backplate and the glass. y

The portion of the stencil illustrated in Fig. was traced direct from thestencil and it exhibits the neat character of work done by the stenciling machine by any intelligent operator. 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

the advantages ot the construction and method of operation, will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and whileI have described the principleof operatlon', together with the device which now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to lowing: a a

is A changeable exhibitor comprising, a: sign holder conslsting of a framed structure" have it understood that the device shown is V merely illustrative and that such changes maybe made, when; d'esirech as taillwithin the scope of the appended claim. 7

Having thus described my invention; what I claim as new and-desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is the folhaving a smooth, backplate and retaining racks ,on the plate, and I-stenc ls adapted to be SllCltO pos t on n the racks and substantiallymcontact "the smooth surface of the late thesaid surface havin a color to con- 3 m "trast withthe color of the stencils to efie ct 1 the flegibility of the-stencils, andieach of said racks having a glass in front of and substant ally contacting the stencll therein, said stencils extending from theinside of the frame at one side of the plate tothe outside edge 01? the :Erameat the other side ofthe plate, and

the plate provided with means to facilitate the removal of the stencils; a I

Intestnnony whereof I affix my s gnature. a r a CHARLES J; *MoDONALD. 

